Improvement in reed-organ couplers



G. B. KELLY.

Reed-Urgan Couplers.

N0.l56,575. l Patented Nov.3,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. KELLY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGrNOR TO THE MASON 8a HAMLIN ORGAN COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN REED-ORGAN COUPLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,575, dated November 3, 1874; application filed September 18, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, GEORGE B. KELLY, of Boston, in the county ot' Sutfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Coupling-Rods for Reed-Organs, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to an improvement in coupling-rods in reed-organs or other similar musical instruments, such as described in the Letters Patent issued to Emmons Hamlin, assignor to Mason St Hamlin Organ Oompany, December 12, 1871, No. 121,778, and to myself, August 4, 187 4, No. 153,832.

The invention consists of coupling rods or rollers, which, in addition to their ordinary construction, and to their ordinary arrangement in the organ, are bent or formed at their ends, making the rest for the keys, to bring the plane of such rest as near as possible in the horizontal plane in which the rods turn on depressing the keys, and also are formedA or bent in their length, to admit ot' the downward swing ot' the rods without contact between the rod or rods being actuated and the part of the rods which, in their diagonal location, is 4directly below the end of the rod or rods which are being downwardly swung or actuated.

In the accompanying plate of drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a key-board of a reedorgan, showing two keys and several coupling-rods, and their diagonal arrangement on their support. Fig. 2 is a sectional View along the line a; x, Fig. l-that is, along a line parallel with the line of direction of the couplingrods. This view fully illustrates the present peculiar formation of coupling-rods, and to avoid confusion, as well as for the better illustration, only one coupling-rod is shown. Fig. 3 is a view of one end of a coupling-rod, in plane of line y y, Fig. 1.

As this invention wholly pertains to the coupling-rods, simple reference will be made to the other parts of the organ without particular description thereof.

In the drawings, A represents the valve and action-board; B, the keys; O, the support for the coupling-rods D. On this support the rods D turn when the rods are actuated by the depression of the keys. The rods D are arranged in parallel lines with each other, and diagonall y to the len gthof the keys, and a key rests on one end, a, of each rod, and the other end b of the same rod rests upon the push-pin, by which is opened the valve to a reed of a reedorgan.

All the above is as ordinarily in reed-organs.

The end a of each coupling-rod D, for the resting of the key thereon, is bent, as shown at o, Fig. 2, to bring the plane of rest of the key thereon in a lower plane than heretofore, and in a plane as near as possible with the bearing-plane of the rods on their support; and along the length of each coupling-rod the rods are bent, as shown at d, Fig. 2, to bring them sufficiently below the plane of their support for a rod, bent as at c, to be swung downwardly 011 the depression of the key resting thereon, without coming in contact with that coupling-rodwhich, in the diagonal location of the rods, is directly below the bend o of the rod actuated.

The bend c of the coupling-rods 'greatly eases the operation of the rods, occasions less friction, and brings the rest of the key on its coupling-rod in the most advantageous position for working the rod, and, as a consequence of the above, great relief is afforded to the player when keys are coupled.

The intermediate bend d ofthe coupling-rods is essential, as otherwise the bend c of a rod, in depressing the rod, would abut against the coupling-rod below such bend c.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A coupling-rod, D, for organs, bent or formed as at c and d, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

GEO. B. KELLY.

Witnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN,- ALBERT W. BnowN. 

